


They Were Only Words

by HeroMaggie



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age 2
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hugs, Merrill is a sweetie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-10 00:04:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2003208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroMaggie/pseuds/HeroMaggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merrill visits Fenris after he has a fight with Hawke and offers some words of advice and comfort</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Were Only Words

**Author's Note:**

> Written after seeing a Grumpy Fenris sketch on Tumblr. This fits into my Fenris Needs Hugs grouping. Because we can all use a good hug now and again.

Merrill let herself into Fenris’ mansion, her eyes cutting across the open space of the foyer with wide-eyed curiosity. She hadn’t made it to Fenris’ mansion before, mainly because the last two times she had tried she had gotten lost. Today, though, she had left from Hawke’s estate and that seemed to have helped her navigation difficulties. Or the Creators were looking out for her. Or she had just gotten lucky.

Letting herself in and closing the door gently behind her, Merrill took in the mess and decay. The entire room was a disaster heaped with filth and a few moldering corpses. Merrill daintily stepped between old blood stains, dust piles, broken furniture, and mushrooms on her way to the stairs. Her ears hadn’t picked up any noises, but she was pretty sure Fenris was home.

Fenris was home, she discovered as she reached the top of the stairs and flitted through his bedroom door. He was home and he was cranky. Grumpy. Growly. Brooding. He was a grumpy, broody mess sitting all lump-like in his chair.

“Merrill.” His voice managed to drip annoyance, disdain, curiosity and ennui all at once. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh Fenris!” she chirped brightly at the scowling man, “I had heard about what happened with Hawke…from Hawke…and he is so very upset and then he said you were upset and that got me to thinking that I hadn’t visited you yet. Oh…I’m sorry. You didn’t want a sermon.”

Fenris rubbed at his face, grimaced when he realized he had jabbed himself with his own gauntlet, and then huffed angrily. “If Hawke was so upset, why are you here with me and not with him?”

“I was with him, Lethallin, but then Varric came by and then Isabela and well, I figured if they were visiting him, I would visit you.” She moved into the room and perched on the chair opposite him. “What happened?”

Fenris threw his hands up in annoyance. “Fine! Fine. We were looking for an apostate – a runaway apostate – and he let him go. We had words. There. You can leave now.”

Merrill was nodding sagely at him, her eyes wide on his face. “You said mean things to each other?”

“Venhedis, you are so stubborn and annoying Merrill. Yes, things were said. About magic.”

Merrill nodded again. “I know how you feel about us. We all know. But Hawke loves you anyway, Lethallin. And you must know that words in anger might cut deep, but the wounds can be healed quickly with a kind word and apology.”

“I am not…he should…no.” Fenris turned from her.

“You think he should apologize? For helping an apostate? Fenris, he’s a mage. An apostate.”

She watched as surprise and then shame slipped over his face. “I said things, Merrill. They cannot be taken back.”

She tinkled a laugh at that and jumped to her feet. He watched in slight confusion and a little fear as she glided to him. “He has taken you back for worse things, Fenris. You can wait for him to come here, or you can go to him. You love him. I see how you follow him with your eyes, the way your face smiles. They are just words. Do not squander what you have because of mere words.” 

Before he could do more than blink, she had wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She was slight and smelled like herbs and somehow, green growing things. She hugged like she did everything else, with a single-minded intensity that managed to convey innocence, friendship, comfort, and that strange otherness that seemed to surround her. She rested her cheek against his hair and murmured soothingly to him in elvhen, her voice surrounding him with music. And even though he had always been so rude to her, so harsh and condescending, had said such mean-tempered things to her, she still had come to see if he was alright. So he sat still as she hugged him, as she soothed him.

“Now will you go see Hawke? He really is beside himself with worry for you.” She had released him and was beaming at him. 

“I…yes. I will.” He stood and swayed for a moment, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. Finally, he reached out a hand and patted her shoulder. “Thank you for coming to see me, Merrill. I…thank you.”

“Oh Fenris, that’s what a clan does. And we’re a clan, right?” She shot him another little smile and then bounced from his room.

Fenris shook his head and grabbed his sword. _He was part of a clan now_ , he thought. It was a surprisingly pleasing thought.


End file.
